The last time I could not get into Goose Island, I found myselft at Hofbrau. The ambiance is more of a bar than a restaurant, food is Octoberfest food (brats and pretzles) and the beer is very good. (If you like German beer that is!)

There is a bottle shop near the Sheriden downtown that holds a special place in my heart (I forget the name, but I can stumble there from the hotel... it is near the movie theater, less than a block away) and the Whole Foods Market tends to have some regional brews that you cannot get in the rockies. If you can found Goose Island Bourbon Barrel Stout in bottles, please let me know!!! It is sublime, and would be a great stocking stuffer for a few friends and relatives of mine!

The Publican is supposed to be excellent. The chef who opened it recently opened another restaurant called Big Star, which is a "country" themed place with tacos and a nice beer and whiskey selection. Personally, I don't think you can go wrong with Rick Bayless' Frontera Grill. They've got an extensive tequila list as well as some decent tap beers. It sounds like you already know most of the other good Chicago-area beer joints.

I really enjoyed the Publican. The chef has Blackbird, a high end place, and we have not been there. Avec is his small plates and Mediteranean influenced place, which we always try to have a meal at when in Chicago. Avec has some interesting bottled beers on the list.

I will have to look up the new place, and try it.

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Jeff RankertAnn Arbor Brewers GuildAHA Governing Committee BJCP NationalHome-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

I was in Chicago about a month + ago and met Peter Crowley at Goose Island. He used to brew for Rock Bottom & is opening a new brewpub called Haymarket Pub & Brewery. Probably open now, in the Loop area.

Binny's has a pretty good selection of beers (and some great single malts!), right across the street from Goose Island. They also have a number of other locations, but I know that one is great.

I was in Chicago about a month + ago and met Peter Crowley at Goose Island. He used to brew for Rock Bottom & is opening a new brewpub called Haymarket Pub & Brewery. Probably open now, in the Loop area.

Binny's has a pretty good selection of beers (and some great single malts!), right across the street from Goose Island. They also have a number of other locations, but I know that one is great.

Haymarket hasn't opened yet, they're aiming for the end of the month. I'm finally getting up to Revolution this weekend myself and have heard great things about it.

The bottle shop by the Sheraton is called Uncork It and it's on Illinois and McClurg. They've scaled back their beer selection a little bit, but it's still pretty good. There's also Drinks Over Dearborn, which is a quirky little place. Not a huge selection but they get some good stuff.http://www.drinksoverdearborn.com/

Half Acre, as mentioned above, and Metropolitan Brewing are two relatively new breweries.

Both are in the Andersonville/Ravenswood area (near the Hop Leaf) and give tours. You can typically find their beers in the better bottle shops (including Whole Foods and Binny's). Metropolitan, I believe, makes only lagers.

Also, one of these two (I think Metro) is in the same building as a local boutique distillery. I can't recall the name.

I also can't recall the name of the liquor store, but at the corner of Clark and Foster (right by the Hop Leaf) there's a liquor store with a great selection of bottles.

I don't know if you can get Bell's in Colorado, but the season seems right for them to be releasing their Expedition Stout. This is a favorite of mine.

I also agree with the recommendation for Sheffield's. With the baseball season over, it shouldn't be too crowded.